Floating compass



Jan. 11 1927. 1,614,228

v K. BREED I FLOATING COMPASS;

Filed April 2.}, 1925 11.; V

Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES KEITH BREED, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLOATING COMPASS.

Application filed April 23, 1925. Serial No. 25,278.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in compasses for indicating the north direction.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved compass which may be easily, quickly and cheaply constructed and which is not readily breakable. The improved compass is adapted to be placed upon quiet water, as upon a quiet portion of a stream or in a pool, and will float upon the water, swinging into a position as to indicate the magnetic north.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the improved compass;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the compass;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the compass; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a case adapted to receive the improved compass.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved compass consists of a needle 10 provided with a head 11 and with a tail 12. It is formed of flat metal, preferably sheet metal, and is as thin as believed desirable. The improved compass is sufliciently hardened so as to become permanently magnetized. In use of the compass, the needle 10 may be coated with, or may have, a layer of water repellent substance applied to the under side thereof. Such a layer is indicated at 13 upon Fig. 3. This water repellent substance may be oil, grease, wax, or similar substances, and serves to permit the metallic needle to float upon the surface of quiet water. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the needle with its coating or layer of wax, grease, oil, or the like, is carefully placed upon the surface of quiet water in a stream, so that the needle will float upon the surface. When the needle has been so placed, it will swing into the direction to indicate the magnetic north because of its magnetism. t will be noted that as the metallic needle floats upon a liquid, there is little or no friction tending to resist the swinging of the needle into the position to indicate the magnetic north.

As ShOWn in Fig. 4, the needle 10 is adapted to be placed into a suitable case 14 having a cover flap 15 adapted to be held closed as by a suitable separable fastener 16. Because of the shape of the needle, and its construction, it will be noted that the compass occupies a small amount of room and cannot easily be broken.

The head 11 upon the needle serves to differentiate north from south upon the needle, so that when the needle is upon thewater, north can readily be differentiated from south.

It will be understood that various changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A floating compass comprising a needle formed of thin flat magnetized metal presenting a smooth bottom surface which is covered with a layer of water repellent substance, whereby when the needle is care fully placed on quiet waters, it may float thereon. and serve to indicate north and south directions.

2. A floating compass comprising a needle formed of thin flat magnetized metal presenting a smooth bottom surface which is coated with a plastic unctuous layer of waterrepellent substance, whereby when the needle is carefully placed on quiet water, it may float and serve to indicate north and south directions, said needle being so formed as to have one end distinguishable from the other. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

K. BREED. 

